And yet Doug Buysse often sees an emphasis placed elsewhere when it comes to the player who wears the mask, chester protector and shinguards.

“A lot of people want to talk about the sexy stuff — blocking and throwing,” said Buysse, the Indiana University South Bend head baseball coach and a former Saint Joseph’s College catcher. “That part’s awesome. But far more important — the day-to-day stuff — is receiving and the true catching part.”

“In a game, we may have 130 pitches and Jordan may block it 10 times,” said Buysse. “He maybe throws a guy out at second three or four times. He catches the ball 130 times.

“That’s what we’re going to spend the majority of our time on. Receiving is the most-important part.”

Buysse has a simple goal for his catchers: Keep strikes strikes, turns three balls a game into strikes and balls out of the strike zone are kept there.

“If you can’t receive and keep strikes strikes, you need to go play first base,” said Buysse. “We spend more time doing this than anything else.”

The coach noted that there are umpires who call he pitch where it is caught and not where it crosses the plate.

“Nothing’s worse than watching a kid throw a really good pitch and our catchers catches it and because of the way he caught it, it’s (called) a ball,” said Buysse.

IUSB pitchers generally do not have swing-and-miss stuff.

“Our staff has got to pound the zone, work down and work ahead (in the count),” said Buysse.

That makes it important to have a catcher that can accommodate their needs and strengths.

When he is recruiting receivers, the first Buysse looks at is the player’s hips.

“Some kids are genuinely blessed with good hips,” said Buysse. “But it’s one of the things we can work on.”

Buysse has his catchers go through a position-specific daily stretching routine that takes 10 minutes or less.

“You can’t expect your catchers to use the exact same stretches that outfielders do because they’re using different muscles,” said Buysse.

The routine helps with the flexibility in the ball and socket joint and get hips used to moving in the desired direction.

The coach said catchers who are doing squats and cleans in the weight room need this daily stretching or else they will be too tight in the hips to be an effective receiver.

“Jordan’s probably going to catch 40 to 45 games for us so he’s got to keep himself really loose,” said Buysse. “The looser he is, the quicker he’s going to recover.”

Buysse noted that since the chair came along people don’t squat like they once did. He has noticed many young catchers who are not comfortable in their stance.

“One way we eliminate that is to put the left knee down (with no runners on base),” said Buysse.

Moore does this more than half the time when catching for IUSB.

Buysse said the benefits are twofold — it saves his legs and he can work a little bit lower.

“It took a long time for me to be OK with this,” said Buysse. “I’ve accepted it. It helps and he can give a lower target.”

On pitches with a lot of run, it helps having the knee out of the way with the zone opened up.

“We’re looking to give our catchers freedom to move and give our guys the best possible scenario to keep a strike a strike,” said Buysse.

Buysse went through receiving drills using tennis and plyo balls. He fed the ball to Moore, who received it with the idea of being quiet and efficient.

After listening to Tim Cossins (former minor league catching coordinator with the Florida/Miami Marlins, field coordinator with the Chicago Cubs and now major league field coordinator/catching instructor with the Baltimore Orioles) speak a few years ago at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention, Buysse has been having his catchers start with their glove hand on the ground.

“We want our catchers to work up to catch the ball and stick the pitch instead of chasing it out of the zone,” said Buysse. “There’s less movement.

“For for a long time, I was a ‘drive the wheel’ guy. Now we start down and we work up.”

Buysse insists that his catcher’s head and eyes follow the ball as if a string was tied from their mask to the their middle finger.

On high pitches, the instinct for many younger guesses is for their head to go down and hand to go up.

“Now I’m guessing,” said Buysse. “It’s sounds simple and it sounds easy. But you’d be surprised how many kids don’t watch a ball all the way into their gloves.”

Buysse said the wrist — not the arm — is to be kept soft when receiving a pitch. The throwing hand should be kept out of harm’s way.

Buysse called Twitter a great resource for baseball drills. He found a reaction drill where one person stands behind the catcher and throws tennis balls off the wall which a catcher must receive with the proper technique.

Buysse said one way to build confidence for catchers is to receive balls from a pitching machine (or a coach) from shorter and short distances. One example might be 75 mph at 45 feet.

“Don’t be afraid to experiment with things and try to make them better,” said Buysse.

When it comes to throwing, Buysse said catchers should use the time when they’re playing catch to work on things like transfers and footwork for throwing to bases.

“It’s right to left, left to target and throw,” said Buysse. “When you make a bad throw, it starts with your feet.

“Catchers can do this every single day.”

At the college level, Buysse has his catchers do a lot of throwing during fall practice. During the season, he does not want too much extra throwing, considering all the times the catcher must throw the ball back to the pitcher, down to second after warm-up pitches and around the horn after strikeouts etc.

When it comes to throwing, Buysse said catchers should use the time when they’re playing catch to work on things like transfers and footwork for throwing to bases.

“It’s right to left, left to target and throw,” said Buysse. “When you make a bad throw, it starts with your feet.

“Catchers can do this every single day.”

Buysse wants his catchers to block balls to the field and not to the plate. The former keeps the ball in front of them with their momentum going into the direction they’re throwing.

He also insists that “the chin has to dig into my chest protector.”

“Protect your neck,” said Buysse.

The Cubbies Coaches Club is done meeting for the off-season but 1st Source Bank Performance Center director and South Bend Cubs travel team coach Mark Haley encourages area coaches to continue to call on the baseball community centered in South Bend if they have questions.

The Performance Center is at 525 S. Lafayette Blvd., South Bend. The phone number is 574-404-3636.

Doug Buysse is the head baseball coach at Indiana University South Bend. He was a catcher at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind.

Every head coach or manager has to find a coaching style and a way he is going to run his baseball team.

Mark Haley, who coached and managed in professional baseball for more than two decades including 10 years as manager of the South Bend (Ind.) Silver Hawks (2005-14), shared his ideas on team management at the monthly meeting of the South Bend Cubs FoundationCubbies Coaches Club Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Four Winds Field.

Haley, who has talked about the presentation with friend and San Diego Padres manager Andy Green, emphasized the importance of building relationships and communicating with young athletes.

It is helpful to know the background of players.

What’s their family life like?.

What makes a kid the way he is?.

Because of the commitment of money and time, this is critical in professional baseball.

“It’s surprising how mentally fragile and insecure some of the best big leaguers are,” said Haley.

There are many differences in any given locker room.

These include cultural, social, economic, religious and in motor development.

“It’s a melting pot,” said Haley. “We (as coaches) have to dig deep. Give everything to your players and expect nothing in return.

They will be facially expressive and move around when they are interacting.

They want to know “How” to do something.

“They are the workers,” said Haley of kinesthetic learners. “They are the cage rats.”

With this kind of learner, coaches are advised to go over the area they are teaching with astep-by-step approach.

Haley talked about building a team culture. He defined it as “the formal or informal organizational systems the coach establishes to move the team towards its goal.”

Part of building a productive locker room is having a common goal.

“We have to have a commitment,” said Haley.

Roles include starter, key backup player or reserve/role player.

“Know your role and perform it well,” said Haley. “Clearly understand your role for team success.”

Players should understand complimentary roles.

“It gives them direction so they’ll know exactly where they’re at,” said Haley. “Never evaluate another kid to a player. You’re just creating animosity. Don’t humiliate them by saying ‘you’re not as good as him.’”

Haley accentuated the fact that it’s a performance culture that’s being built.

“Everything is done on how well we do, how well you coach etc.,” said Haley. “Feedback about performance has to be clear.

Not a believer in naming team captains, Haley said the leader will naturally emerge.

If that leader is also bringing the team down with their attitude, Haley said the coach needs to override them or, perhaps, find another leader.

At the pro level, leaders who are negative need to be weeded out.

Haley wants to build an empowering climate where every player has a say in the fortunes and direction of the team.

There should be a compelling vision.

“We as coaches can keep that to ourselves,” said Haley. “Let the vision be known. Kids like that.”

Haley also believes in shared values. His are Honesty, Trust and Respect.

“Those are the three I preach,” said Haley. “You need to do that non-stop.”

Goal orientation is also a part of the plan.

“We’ve got to accomplish this as a team,” said Haley.

A “Can Do” attitude is a must.

“It radiates through the dugout and the locker room,” said Haley. “Young kids battle the fear of failure. As a coach, I’m never going to do that. Never be afraid to fail.”

For Haley, it’s about baseball development. But it’s also about making better people. That goal needs to be remembered.

Haley said coaches should take advantage of innovation that is constantly being developed in baseball.

“Find new ways of doing things,” said Haley, noting all the new metrics and devices available to coaches these days.

“Kids want instant feedback on everything,” said Haley. “We have to adapt to them. They are not going to adapt to us. We can influence them.”

Haley identifies three types of players on a team. There’s those who are seeking to get to the next level (No. 1’s). There are those who are satisfied with where they’re at (No. 2’s). Lastly, there are the players who are not even sure they want to be there (No. 3’s).

Haley, who is director of the 1st Source Bank Performance Center and a South Bend Cubs travel baseball coach, will see the No. 1’s all the time at the Performance Center. The No. 2’s come less often. The No. 3’s are a rare sight.

Having a team of 1’s and 3’s is a recipe for major conflict.

Haley said there are areas that help create cultural identity on a team. Besides common values, symbols will help build the cohesiveness and he likes to see these originate with the players.

Common heroes can also bring teammates together. Maybe they all root for the same big leaguer. That’s something else they have in common.

Rituals — chants, team meals, championship belts — also tell players they are a part of a group.

Coaches should show an interest in each athlete’s achievements and show pride in the team’s accomplishments.

With all of it, there has to be consistency.

“You have to practice it all religiously,” said Haley. “Good coaches don’t just talk. Everything that comes out of their mouth is for a reason.”

Haley said there is no absolute one right way to coach and finding a coaching style comes through trial and error.

Having a mentor helps. Haley’s was Jim Snyder, who spent a lifetime in the game including stints as a coordinator of instruction in the White Sox organization.

The final Cubbies Coaches Club meeting of the off-season is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5. For more information, call (574) 404-3636 or email performancecenter@southbendcubs.com.

The largest number of registrants ever gathered for the annual event Jan. 3-6, 2019 at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center to listen to speakers, attend the ABCA Trade Show (with about 300 vendors) and participate in award celebrations, committee meetings, hotel stove panel discussions while also catching up with old friends and making new ones.

The worlds of professional, college, high school and youth baseball all collided for the advancement of the game.

It was the third time in four years convention attendance has gone up.

The ABCA, which was founded in 1945, continues to grow. The organization estimates it will have more than 12,000 members by the end of 2019.

By comparison, the highest convention attendance four years ago was about 4,500 with membership around 6,000.

Can the organization keep growing?

“I’d say the sky’s the limit,” says Jeremy Sheetinger, ABCA’s College Division Liaison. “But it is about the experience of the coaches in attendance.

“We want to make sure we’re doing right by them.”

It’s a matter of logistics when putting on the world’s biggest baseball convention. There are countless consideration. Some of those are size of the venue and available seating and who will speak and when.

“From our board on down, we’ve taken a more focused approach to serve our youth coaches,” says Sheetinger. “We’re very excited to see the influx of youth coaches. A second day of youth clinics (in Dallas) was well-received.”

Indiana was well-presented from outgoing ABCA President and Ball State University head coach Rich Maloney to several coaches at various levels, Indianapolis Scecina High School coach Dave Gandolph has been an association member for four decades and attended many conventions.

Matt Talarico, a former Fort Wayne Dwenger High School and Manchester University player and now assistant coach/director or player development at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, presented on the big stage about base stealing.

An announcement is slated in the spring about the dates and locations of the ABCA Barnstormers Clinics, which run from September through December.

The 2020 ABCA Convention will be held Jan. 2-5, 2020 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville. The event returns to the Music City for the seventh time. Registration opens Sept. 1. Room blocks will also open on that date for official ABCA Convention hotels.

The convention is slated for Washington, D.C., in 2021, Chicago in 2022, Nashville in 2023, Dallas in 2024, Washington, D.C. in 2025, Las Vegas in 2026 and Chicago in 2027.

Indiana native Lance Lynn was represented at the trade show of the 2019 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Dallas. (Steve Krah Photo)

This is one of the many panel discussions held during the 2019 American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Dallas. (Steve Krah Photo)

Mark Haley worked for decades on the development side of professional baseball.

He was a minor league coach or manager in the Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations. His job was to get players ready for the next level. If they continued to develop, they had a chance to land in the major leagues.

He was a manager at Low Class-A South Bend (Ind.) and took the Silver Hawks to the postseason in seven of his 10 seasons (2005-14).

Haley, who now runs the 1st Source Banking Performance Center at Four Winds Field and coaches the South Bend Cubs travel teams, rejects the idea that winning has to be sacrificed for development.

“I’m a firm believer after all my years, I want to develop winners,” said Haley during the South Bend Cubs Foundation Cubbies Coaches Club session Tuesday, Jan. 8. “In the minors, it’s hard because everybody moves. But now, you’re finding that development is great. But develop winners, too.

“They work together.”

What is winning to Haley?

“It’s being able to execute,” said Haley. “It’s being able to get bunts down. That’s going to lead to the ultimate goal of the team because you’re winning at the plate. You’re getting your walks. You’re putting the ball in-play hard.

“We don’t read launch angles. We want bat speed with solid contact.”

Bottom line: Develop winners.

“If you’re in a tournament and you’re in the championship, I’m sorry guys, but the blood’s coming out,” said Haley. “I want to win any way I can. That’s just the way I am.

“It’s fun because we go into another mode. They see that and say, ‘I kind of like this.’”

That leads to the players paying more attention to their skills, maybe taking more cuts or ground balls in practice. They’re understand what it means to be in the right places for the cut-off or running the bases hard.

“But we still have to be socially correct,” said Haley. “There’s a right way to do it. You have to respect your opponent. I’m going to take you out, but I respect the fact that you’re there and competing.

“Watching kids and working with kids, success is so important. We’ve got to figure out ways to make them successful. We teach them they have to earn that and pay the price. Success cannot come too easy. They have to work for it and get rewarded.”

Haley talked about coaching the bases and broke down several situations. He said he spent 45 minutes before each game going over scouting reports and opponent tendencies.

“Nobody talks about it, but coaching third base is a game-winning situation most of the time,” said Haley. “It’s all the little things that a good third base coach does that you don’t even know about.”

It’s important to be able to read the angles on fly balls and realize when you have the advantage and when you don’t.

“The third base coach sets the tone of your offense,” said Haley. “From when he starts from the dugout to third base, I see what kind of team he has by how he handles himself.”

When Haley worked for the White Sox, they insisted that all third base coaches hustle to their position.

“The minute you get to home plate, you run all the way to front of the box,” said Haley. “You’re not going to walk to third base.”

As to location while coaching and giving the sign, Haley said he prefers to be to the right of the pitcher so he is closer to the hitter and can connect with his baserunners.

Body language is also key. Haley doesn’t want to see a third base coach with his arms folded over his chest.

After the sign is given, the coach moves the back of the box or beyond to keep from getting smoked by a line drive.

“When giving signs, keep it as simple as possible,” said Haley. “But you do have guys who are masters as picking. I’ll pick up your signs real quick.

“When you do your signs, you have to do at least eight and use both hands and both sides of the body. Do you have to practice in the mirror? Yes.”

Reading where the shortstop and second basemen are with a runner at second base is also the responsibility of the third base coach. He gives verbal signs to the runner to let him know if they can add to their lead or they should be aware of a pick-off throw.

As a third base coach, Haley expects his runner’s to be going all-out and he will tell them when to stop or go. If they don’t go as fast as he expects, they put pressure on him.

With a runner on first base, the responsibility of the first base coach is to tell the runner the number of outs, position of the outfielders, time the pitcher’s delivery to the plate (often with a stop watch).

“Both the third base and first base coaches need to know where the outfielders are,” said Haley. “Because you have to read balls off the bat.”

Haley said a time of 1.2 seconds or faster from the pitcher to the catcher is quick. If it’s 1.5 or slower, it’s a good time to run.

Base coaches can read an outfielder’s throw. If his release is high, it’s likely the throw will go high and miss the cut-off man.

“It’s so important for outfielders — even if they can’t throw — to keep the head high and the ball low because it freezes everybody (on the bases),” said Haley. “You start launching and they’re running.”

And just because the opposing catcher shows a cannon throwing the ball to second base between innings doesn’t mean he can do the same with a batter swinging through the zone interrupting his timing.

Generally speaking, Haley has to think he has a 75 percent chance of executing to put on a play.

It also helps to read the situation when it comes to bunting.

“If I’ve got a third baseman that struggles, I’m going to wear him out,” says Haley.

Haley really likes to scout the opponent.

“Watch everything that they do,” said Haley. “Watch them play catch and see who has the strong arms out there.”

Opposing managers are creatures of habit.

Haley knew that Ryne Sandberg, when he was managing in the Midwest League, was predictable in many of his moves be it bunt, hit-and-run, pick-off and more.

“Every time he did something and it worked when that situation came around again, he’s going to do it again,” said Haley. “I tell the kids, ‘Watch the game. Didn’t you see it in the second inning, it was the same thing?’ Watch the game. They’ll tip off a lot of things.”

Haley knows his lineup and when he can push things. When he had burner Ender Inciarte with the Silver Hawks in 2010-12, he often batted him in the No. 9 hole and used his speed to put pressure on the opponent.

“I like aggressive teams,” said Haley. “I like to push. You’ll see teams that can’t handle that.”

Controlling the pace of an inning is a Haley speciality.

“The reason they’re having time clocks is because of guys like me,” said Haley. “I can slow the game down unbelievably. ‘How are you 15?’ My bullpen’s not ready yet, so I have to slow this inning down.”

Haley notes that many catchers will drop their fingers when giving signs. If you pick up on that, you can pass that along to your teammates.

“I tell my catcher to change their signs so (the opponent) can’t pick it up,” said Haley.

The South Bend Cubs Foundation is looking to help the needs of the community through baseball. There are various phases: Academy, Cubbies Coaches Club, Prep League (middle-schoolers) and Travel program (high schoolers and possibly college).

“We want to give every kid the opportunity to play even if they may not be able to afford it,” said Haley.

Haley said the ultimate vision of the foundation is to get into all South Bend elementary schools and have two teachers that understand baseball run the program with assistance from volunteers, including area high school and youth coaches .

The former standout at Elkhart Central High School and Bethel College who was a left-handed pitcher in the Milwaukee Brewers organization is now a husband and father of two who works in the gas and oil business and coaches youth baseball in Pennsylvania.

Kloosterman took the audience of about 250 at the Century Center in downtown South Bend through his baseball journey. Many of his remarks were aimed directly at the all-stars — recently-graduated players from across the state who were chosen to play three games (two Saturday and one Sunday) at Four Winds Field.

With wife Megan and sons Grady and Blake in the audience, Kloosterman described what he labeled the four stages of baseball.

It was during Stage 1 that he started to develop his belief in himself.

“In Stage 1, you’re 6 years old, chewing on dandelions, doing cartwheels in the outfield,” said Kloosterman. “I was that kid.”

Though his coach criticized him for his ways, he used to to fuel him.

“I truly, honestly, passionately don’t care what you think about me,” said Kloosterman. “You’re opinion means absolutely nothing. You have no idea what I’m capable of doing.

“I can’t tell you how vital this has been.”

Then emphasized a few points to the all-stars.

“Trust me, gentlemen, there’s going to be a college coach that looks at you and says ‘no.’ Should you quit?,” said Kloosterman. “There’s going to be a D-I coach that looks at you and says you’re not fast enough. Should you quit?

“That tool came in handy not just in T-ball but in pro ball.”

In the second stage, a drive and hunger was developed.

“Do you remember the first time you wanted to beat the living tar out of your opponent?,” said Kloosterman. “The world stopped. You stopped hearing all the crazy parents yell at you, coaches (acting) like they’re trying out for the big leagues and didn’t even notice your friends on the other team.

“It was an uncontrollable, insatiable desire to put a quick foot on their throat and win by 10 in five. I was 12. I became addicted to winning.”

Kloosterman admits that when he didn’t win as a 12-year-old, he completely melted down.

“I cried after every loss until I was 13,” said Kloosterman. “I was icorrigible. I’m glad I got over that because that could have gotten really weird in high school and college.”

Kloosterman credits this drive as a the single most important thing that allowed him to play as long as he did and brought him success in his career.

“Losing stinks,” said Kloosterman. “There’s no justification for it. We can learn from it.

“But make no mistake, winning’s great. Winning’s the reason we train the way we do. It’s why we stay late and don’t go to parties.

“We have laser focus. We don’t do it so we can lose. We do it so we can win.”

Stage 3 is when Kloosterman tasted success, but also learned that there were other talented ballplayers in his world. He saw the nasty stuff of second-round Major League Baseball draftee Eric Good, gave up a home run and was picked off first base in the same game by major league catcher-to-be Rob Bowen and got hit regularly by future major leaguer Hunter Pence.

“I hold that pretty close to my heart because I always wanted to strive to be better,” said Kloosterman. “Look to those people who were that good and so special and fight to be like that. Go beat them. If you can’t do it now, do it tomorrow.”

It’s still a driving factor in his life and he related it to the all-stars in the audience.

“It motivates me to work even harder. Someone, somewhere is better than you,” said Kloosterman. “They throw harder, run faster and hit the ball harder. And, to be honest, they’re probably a freshman.

“Never forget what got you here and you use these times to make you stronger.”

Kloosterman, 36, is now in the fourth stage. He coaches baseball, but he no longer plays it. But he can look back fondly on the people and moments that helped get him to this point.

“I reaped all the benefits while playing this game,” said Kloosterman. “Now, I’m reaping the benefits post-baseball.”

He thanked his family at the beginning of his speech. At the end, he singled out Elkhart Central coach Steve Stutsman and wife Kristie and Central assistant, Concord head coach, Bristol American Legion Post 143 manager and North/South All-Star Series organizer Jim Treadway and his wife Mary Jane for their impact on his life.

“I always call him Coach because he earned it,” said Kloosterman of Steve Stutsman, who is also head coach for the North in this year’s North/South All-Star Series. “He allowed me to play on his team at Elkhart Central from 1997-2000.

“What he might not tell you that he basically allowed me to live with him my whole career because I didn’t have the best home life.

“Coach, you loved me and I can’t thank you enough for that. You gave me a place to play baseball and forget how bad things were outside the white lines.”

Jim Treadway introduced Kloosterman and said, “You never know where this road is going to take you guys. But continue to work hard and believe in yourselves when nobody else does.”

Kloosterman expressed his appreciation for Treadway, who he met as a Central freshman and has been close with ever since.

“He was somebody that has the guts to grab a 13-year-old kid and talk some sense into him,” said Kloosterman. “He loved me when I wasn’t good, loved me when I was good and gave me the encouragement to be better than where I came from.

“Jim Treadway, without you I would have failed. I want to thank you for guiding me, discipling me and giving me everything and — above all — love. You will always be a dad to me.”

Kloosterman wrapped up his remarks by encouraging all-stars to thank the people in their lives, especially parents, coaches and trainers and then told them that it’s them that will help grow the game in the future.

“They don’t get thanked enough,” said Kloosterman. “As weird as this may sound to you right now, giving back to the game of baseball is way better than whatever you get from this game

“Take the time to teach you kids the game. Teach them what you know. Remind them how much fun this game is.”

Kloosterman presented himself as evidence that baseball can provide so much — an education, a job, relationship and a family.

“Let a kid hit a bomb off you,” said Kloosterman. “Let a kid strike you out.

“Build this next generation of baseball players better than you.”

Jim and Mary Jane Treadway (left) share a moment with Megan and Greg Kloosterman Friday, July 20 at the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association North/South All-Star Series banquet at Century Center in downtown South Bend. Greg Kloosterman was the keynote speaker. (Steve Krah Photo)

Character values are being taught at a facility on the west side of Fort Wayne, Ind., and baseball is the platform.

Weaving Knowledge, Integrity, Perseverance, Respect, Initiative and Discipline through the four T’s of Tournaments, Team support, Training and Trips, the World Baseball Academy, located at the Academy of Sports & Health (ASH) Centre, 1701 Freeman Street, is working to “develop leaders who positively impact our world.”

A 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization which is completely self-sustained through fundraisers and grants, the WBA projects that it will serve 5,000 youths through its programs in 2017-18.

“We’re very passionate about helping young people becoming difference makers,” says WBA Chief Executive Officer Caleb Kimmel. “Leadership development is interwoven in everything we do at the World Baseball Academy.

“My personal passion has always been youth development. We help young people recognize their potential and how to meet the needs around themselves. How do we positively serve others? Baseball just happens to be our platform. I’ve found no better outlet than sports.”

This connection helps WBA staffers and volunteers get to know the students and encourage and mentor them.

The WBA offers training through camps, clinics and personal instruction on a paid and scholarship basis.

“We want to be good at teaching (baseball skills) so we have the credibility to influence,” says Kimmel. “But we don’t grade ourselves at the World Baseball Academy on how many kids are getting college scholarships or playing pro baseball. Those things are happening and that’s great. But we grade ourselves more on how we help other people. We have those ah-ha moments when we serve and give back.

“They take those things that they learn in the game and transfer them into how to be a better dad, a better employee, a better citizen.”

About a fifth of the 5,000 served are in the On Deck initiative for at-risk students, where the WBA partners with agencies like the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne to mentor young people and teach them values they can carry throughout their lives.

“It’s been humbling to see the growth and the community support,” says Kimmel. “If this was just about baseball, this project would not be successful. Community, foundation and business leaders are really seeing our heart. We want youth to be difference makers and better people.

The complex has three outdoor fields with artificial turf (and soon lights) and plenty of room for indoor training. Two fields are high school/college and the other youth/high school. There are adjustable baselines and mobile mounds that can be changed based on the level.

This year, Hoosier Classic Summer Baseball Tournaments held at the ASH Centre with some spillover to area college and high school fields will draw 220 teams (up from 150 in 2017).

At this time of the year, the idea is for local usage during the week and tournaments on the weekends.

The fields are also used in the spring by college and high school programs.

Caleb Kimmel says $3.55 million has been raised for Phase I of a $3.8 million project, which includes the new fields and earthwork for Phase II (which includes adaptive fields and partnerships with the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and AWS Foundation). Seventeen acres were gutted last April.

Last year, On Deck students gained fulfillment by working with adaptive students.

“Ultimately we’re giving kids the opportunity to serve others,” says Kimmel. “They realize that it’s fun to give back and to serve.”

While the WBA has no teams of its own, many organizations use the facility.

Established on the property in 2005, the WBA began taking its message of servant leadership through baseball to international destinations in 2006. With WBA students leading the way, the organization has served in Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Kenya, Lithuania and Mexico. Players from Bulgaria have even visited Fort Wayne.

Besides the Kimmels, the WBA staff includes Director of Operations Andy McManama, Tournament Director Zach Huttie, Senior Lead Baseball Instructor Ken Jones, Director of Development Linda Buskirk, Scholarship Instructor Tim Petersen, Scholarship Director Melinda Petersen and Outdoor Campus Maintenance man Bud Wolf plus several interns. These are students who get a chance to experience sports management and working on their leadership skills.

“Coach Twenge really had a positive impact on my life,” says Kimmel. “After I dislocated my shoulder my freshman year, I came up to him with tears in my eyes saying I’m ready to quit and I can’t go through this again (after having some injury issues and having to rehab in high school).

“(Twenge) said, ‘I can’t let you quit.’ He had that good balance. He was a Division I coach and they’re on the hook for wins, but he also knew where kids were in life. I appreciated that balance from him.

“I had a mediocre college career, but I enjoyed the experience and struggling through those challenges helped get me to where I am today.”

Keith Potter was the Homestead coach when Kimmel was with the Spartans and later helped him with his tournaments.

“If it wasn’t for Keith I don’t know if these tournaments would have ever survived,” says Kimmel. “He was just so supportive of what we were doing. He’s been a big part of us moving this vision forward.

“I’m very grateful for the coaches I’ve had in my career.”

Around 2008, Between The Lines was dissolved and turned over all programming right to the nonprofit WBA.

“We don’t want to get so focused on dollars and cents that we lose focus on being a community asset for Fort Wayne,” says Kimmel. Just this week, the WBA hosted STEAM (science technology engineering and applied mathematics) camps to spark interest in career paths for On Deck students. “God designed you for a purpose and we can help kids understand that and help them discover those passions.

“The heart of who were are is creating servant leadership opportunities. We see the power in that. Kids see this is what matters in life.”

The World Baseball Academy is located at 1701 Freeman Street in Fort Wayne, Ind. (WBA Photo)

The Fort Wayne-based World Baseball Academy takes trips to other countries. (WBA Photo)

The World Baseball Academy at the ASH Centre sports new turf fields for high school/college and high school/youth are more fields are on the way. (WBA Photo)

The World Baseball Academy fields at the ASH Centre are home to tournaments as well as local college and high school games. (WBA Photo)

One of the four T’s at the World Baseball Academy is training. (WBA Photo)

Mentoring kids and creating future leaders is the vision of the World Baseball Academy in Fort Wayne, Ind. (WBA Photo)

The World Baseball Academy brings smiles to the face of Fort Wayne, Ind., kids. (WBA Photo)

Young people learn how to be mentors and leaders at the Fort Wayne-based World Baseball Academy. (WBA Photo)

Rader has been an umpire for 25 years and does only Little League games.

“I always turned down the IHSAA,” says Rader. “I never did it for the money. I just did it for the love of the game.”

Son Jeremy was 9 (he’s 34 now) and playing at Goshen Little League when Dale volunteered to help out the youngsters.

“It’s for the kids,” says Rader. “I don’t lose sight of that. I don’t let the parents or coaches lose sight of that.

“I remember when I played and I’m 61.”

Raider knows the impression that can be made at the ballpark.

“The impact of coaches and umpires have on kids, you remember forever,” says Rader. “I always make it a positive thing. In 25 years, I’ve never thrown out a coach or a player.

“There’s always ways to handle situations so you don’t lose control. If you have to throw somebody out, you’ve lose control.”

Rader sees the conference at the plate with coaches as very important.

“We always go over the ground rules and look at the fences at a strange park,” says Rader. “And they know where I stand. I always tell the coaches before the game, there’s six calls that the umpire makes — fair or foul, safe or out, ball or strike.

“Those are judgement calls that belong to me. Let’s keep it that way.”

Like all good umpires, Rader studies to rule book. When it comes to rules, the call has to be right.

This year marks Rader’s second assignment to a Little League World Series site. In 2013, he made calls at the Junior Baseball World Series in Taylor, Mich., a suburb of Detroit.

“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” says Rader, who remembers the ESPN trucks and how all the teams were housed together in the same hotels. There were players from the Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei (formerly Taiwan), Curacao and more.

“All those kids found a way to communicate when they were off the field and none of them could speak each other’s language,” says Rader. “It was really something to see.”

Raider remembers how each batter from Chinese Taipei would bow to him as they approached the plate.

He was in a crew with umpires from Germany, Puerto Rico and

Venezuela. The families got to know each other and had a grand time.

Three Raders — Dale, wife Cathy and 10-year-old son Ryne — are going to see what the 2018 Senior League Baseball World Series is all about.

Besides Jeremy and Ryne (who is heading into the fifth grade at Jimtown Intermediate), Rader has three other children — Carrie (39), Dale (31) and Wesley (30).

Wertz has been umpiring for 12 years.

He coached and managed at Goshen Little League for a few years andsaw the league was having trouble finding volunteers — especially umpires.

So he offered his services.

“I enjoyed it, people appreciated it so I stuck with it,” says Wertz.

To qualify for Little League World Series, an umpire must be recommended by their district administrator (in the case of Rader and Wertz, it’s Marlin Culp in District 14) and work a regional tournament.

Wertz had officiated at a few baseball and softball state tournaments and saw himself as ready to represent his district at a regional. He applied and was assigned at Kalamazoo, Mich.

An umpire supervisor recommended Wertz for the Intermediate World Series, he applied and was accepted to go to Livermore.

It’s going to be special in a few ways.

Besides the experience of working a big event, Jeff gets to take wife Tracy to the state where she was raised. The couple plan to head out early and see relatives and sites before the tournament.

“We’ll see some of the places she visited when she was growing up,” says Jeff. “I’ve never been to San Francisco.

“I’m excited to represent the umpires from our area and do a good job for the kids, give them a good experience.”

Jeff and Tracy have three children. Nathanael Wertz just completed his freshman year at Indiana Institute of Technology (Indiana Tech) in Fort Wayne. Philip Wertz just finished his fourth year of varsity baseball at Goshen High School and is bound for studies and baseball at Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. Kathryn Wertz is going into her junior years at Goshen High.

Jeff, who is employed in school psychologist by the Elkhart County Special Education Cooperative, has been the public address announcer for Goshen RedHawks baseball at Phend Field for the past few seasons.

Wertz describes what makes a good umpire.

“It’s someone who’s fair with a good, even temperament,” says Wertz. “You’re out there for the right reasons — for the purity of the sport, for the love of the game.”

The 1986 Goshen High School graduate credits Rader with his early umpire training at Goshen Little League.

“I have nothing but positive regard for Dale,” says Wertz. “He was our most experienced and knowledgable umpire.”